Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney has said he'd be "amazed" if axed England head coach Eddie Jones wasn't at next year's Rugby World Cup in France.
Jones was stood down earlier in December following a discouraging dip in results after seven years with the Red Rose. The 62-year-old received a 'six-figure' sum after he was fired with a year left on his contract, which did not contain a non-compete clause.
It means the three-time World Cup finalist is free to link up with any of England's rivals should they come to an agreement, with a return to the Wallabies fold among the top moves circulating of late. Jones coached Japan at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, meanwhile, and still maintains a consultant role at club outfit Tokyo Sungoliath.
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"I'd be amazed if he wasn't there," said Sweeney, per the Daily Mail. "Who knows? [Rugby Australia chair] Hamish McLennan said they are going to 'weaponise' Eddie. Does he go there as a consultant, does he go to the US, to Japan? I don't know."
McLennan recently described former Wallabies boss Jones as "a massive talent and campaigner," but Dave Rennie is installed as Australia head coach until after the World Cup. For all Jones might aid any prospective employer thanks to his wealth of rugby knowledge, his divisive attitude is believed to have been a factor leading up to his England sacking.
That being said, Rugby Australia could have an eye on his services in advance of the 2027 Rugby World Cup, which will be hosted Down Under. A move to the United States looks far less likely after the Americans failed to qualify for next year's tournament in France.
Jones previously helped Australia (2003) and England (2019) clinch silver medals in rugby premier tournament. He also took on the role of technical advisor to Jake White's South Africa in 2007 when they beat England to become world champions.
Steve Borthwick has left his role as Leicester Tigers head coach to replace Jones at Twickenham, and his first test will be a Six Nations opener at home to Scotland on February 4. England had failed to impress in recent Six Nations tournaments, and Sweeney hoped for improvement in that area after Jones focused heavily on World Cup results.
"You can't have an obsession with a World Cup once every four years and write everything else off," added the RFU figurehead. "The Six Nations is the best rugby tournament in the world. We want to win every Six Nations tournament and every game. Having that balance there is important."
